Safe Routes to School Basics April Morrison-Harke SR2S Contracts Coordinator

1. Safe Routes to School Basics April Morrison-Harke SR2S Contracts Coordinator amorrison-harke@michiganfitness.org

2. Overview • What is Safe Routes to School? • The Five E’s • SR2S Action Plan Steps • Federal Funding • Resources www.saferoutesmichigan.org 2

3. SRTS: It’s more than money 3

4. Encourage and enable all school children, to walk and bicycle to and from school when distance is reasonable and routes are safe Make walking and bicycling routes to school safer Promote lifelong habits of physical activity Reduce traffic and pollution around schools Four SR2S Goals 4

5. Kids, Activity and Obesity 5

6. Containerized Living 6

7. Education Safety Motivation Safer infrastructure More Pedestrians and Cyclists Places People Want to Live Increased Physical Activity Reduced gas consumption Healthier Kids & Adults Cost Savings Improved Grades Reduced Pollution Less Traffic + Convenience Lifelong Habits Readiness to Learn 7

8. The Five E’s Educate students and parents for safe non-motorized travel Encourage students to safely walk or bike to and from school Enforce rules and laws to keep pedestrians and bicyclists safe Engineer environmental changes for safe passage Evaluate the impact of SR2S 8

9. Educatestudents, parents & community about pedestrian and bicycle safety, personal safety & safety around the school 9

10. Encouragewalking school buses, bike trains, friendly competition. Register for Walk to School Day! saferoutesmichigan.org/w2sd 10

11. Enforce proper parking and reduce speeding through progressive ticketing & safety patrols 11

12. Engineeraround the school, along the school route & at street crossings Signs Islands Paint Ramps 12

13. Evaluateusing Student and Parent Surveys, Walking Audits, and Student TravelTallies 13

14. SR2S 5-Step Planning Process Register your school Build a SR2S Planning Team to complete steps 3-5 and beyond. Conduct Student and Parent Surveys and Student TravelTallies Conduct Walking Audits Build an Action Plan using surveys and audits Optional: a) Bicycle audit b) Walk to School Day c) Federal funding 14

15. Step 1: Register Your School at: saferoutesmichigan.org/register 15

16. Step 2: Form a SR2S Planning Team • Principal/District officials • Community planners • Trail/bicycling groups • Parents • Teachers • Students • Road authority • Law enforcement • Civic leaders • Non-motorized experts Important: Find the Transportation Service Center (TSC) staff person in your community at: http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7-151-9623-36042--,00.html 16

17. Step 3: Evaluateusing Student and Parent Surveys, Walking Audits, and In-Class Tallies 17

18. Step 4: Conduct a Walking Audit Use Communitywalk.com to map walking routes 18

19. Step 5: Develop a Plan to Implement Engineering, Education, Encouragement & Enforcement activities Meeting Notes + Survey Data + Walking Audit Data = Action Plan saferoutesmichigan.org/train • Reminder: Required for a federal application, but not all of the items listed in your action plan should be funded with Federal SRTS Program dollars 19

20. Typical award size is approximately $200,000 per school (Infrastructure ($192,000), Noninfrastructure ($8,000) Quarterly funding Funding is competitive For funding guidelines visit: http://saferoutesmichigan.org/funding Step 5 (Optional): Apply for Federal Program Dollars 20

21. Eligibility Requirements • Infrastructure within two miles of the school • A balance of infrastructure and non-infrastructure • programs • Match required of 20% cash minimum 21

22. Eligibility Requirements • Schools serving kindergarten-8thgrade students • Preliminary discussion with regional grant coordinator • Involve the appropriate agency (city, village, or county road commission(s) that controls the roadway(s) under consideration. 22

23. Eligibility Requirements • Demonstrate an active and involved planning team • Demonstrate ongoing progress on their action plan • Have clear connections between survey results, walking and bikeability audit results, action plan, and funding application • Build a strong case for activities not identified through survey or audit 23

24. Eligibility Requirements • Benefit a significant number of students • Follow the application directions • An accurate reasonable budget per school 24

25. Infrastructure Engineering Sidewalks, trails, and bicycle lanes Pedestrian and bicycle crossing improvements On-street/off-street bicycle facilities Traffic diversion improvements in the vicinity of schools Traffic calming and speed reduction Eligibility 25

26. Noninfrastructure Education, Encourage, Enforcement Child pedestrian safety education Activities to encourage walking/biking to school Walk or bike to school groups (e.g. walking school bus, bike trains) Volunteer coordinator stipends associated with specific deliverables Child bicycle safety education Make Trax curriculum implementation activities Eligibility 26

27. Ineligibility Projects/Activities • Pedestrian bridges • Sidewalks or paths that do not connect schools with residential areas (i.e. connecting schools on a campus, connecting schools with recreational or athletic facilities) • Projects that reorganize pick-up and drop-off areas primarily for the convenience of drivers • Improvements to bus stops and bus safety programs • At-school mileage clubs • Neighborhood clean-ups • Sidewalks on one side 27

28. Ineligibility Projects/Activities • Construction extras and cost overruns • Design engineering & construction engineering • Environmental clearance and mitigation • Permit costs • Project administration • Grant funds capped at lower bid amount additional awarded amount not available 28

29. Ineligibility Projects/Activities • Cost for required traffic signal warrant studies • Equipment for infrastructure maintenance • Landscaping • Purchase of right of way • Raised crosswalks • Stand-alone ramps, which should be done with other funds to meet ADA requirements • Supplementing or replacing existing funding 29

30. Online Resources • Michigan SR2S: saferoutesmichigan.org • SR2S Handbook and Make Trax Curriculum • Regional training information • Resources for students with disabilities • E-newsletters • Walk to School Day • Funding information • National Center for SRTS: saferoutesinfo.org • National best practice information • Parent and Student Travel Tally surveys • SRTS Nat’l Partnership: saferoutespartnership.org • National advocacy to advance the SRTS movement 30

31. Statewide Partners • The Michigan Association of Planning • MSU Department, of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies • League of Michigan Bicyclists • Michigan State University Extension • Michigan State University SPDC • Michigan Trails and Greenways Association • Programs to Educate All Cyclists • Wayne State University Engineering • Wayne State University Urban Programs 31

32. Michigan Technical Assistance 32

33. MDOT Regions Superior (1) Grand (3) University (6) Metro (7) Adrianna Jordan (517) 908-3826 ajordan@michiganfitness.org North (2) Bay (4) Southwest (5) April Morrison-Harke (517) 908.3832 amorrison-harke@michiganfitness.org 33

34. “Thank you to all who have invested in the children of Gross Ile and gave them a safe place to walk, ride bikes and play.” -Letter to the Editor, The Gross Ile Camera,  9/10/2010 Thank you